Tape cutter



R. C. MAROTZ Sept. 26, 1961 TAPE CUTTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 25, 1959 Raymond C. Marofz P 1.951 R. c. MAROTZ 3,001,284

TAPE CUTTER Filed March 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q7 A (QQ Raymond G. Mararz INVENTOR.

g BY ym/a; Z?

Anmeys United States Patent 3,001,284 TAPE CUTTER Raymond C. Marotz, 111 15th St, Clintonville, Wis. Filed Mar. 25, .1959, Ser. No, 801,902

Claims. (Cl. 330-424) This invention relates to cutters to tape cutters.

An object of the invention is to provide a practical, easily operated, small and lightweight cutter "for tape of all types and especially electricians tape.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cutter which materially reduces the effort involved in cutting tape and 'at the same time enables the user to select a piece of tape any length that he desires after which it may be cut :neatly, rapidly and with precision.

These together with other objects and advantages which become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of the cuttershowing'the same in use.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the cutter in FIG- URE .1.

JFIGURE 3 is a longitudinally sectional View or the cutterin FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a the cutter showing it FIGURE 6 is a URE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cutter in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 8 is a transverse sectional view of the cutter in FIGURE 7.

' In the accompanying drawings reference is first made to FIGURES 14 inclusive. Cutter '10 is shown in these figures, with FIGURES l, 3 and 4 illustrating a typical roll of tape 12. The cutter is made preferably of metal and has a spool 14 at one end of a frame 16 and on which the roll of tape d2 is mounted for free rotation. .A spring clip l8having its ends projected through aligned openings 2% near the outer end of the spool, functions as a retainer to prevent the roll of tape '12 from separating from its spool 14. The clip is easily removed by separating its ends from apertures 20 and replaced by snapping the ends of the clip in the same apertures 2t).

'Frame 16 comprises a fiat-faced rigid plate 22 with an extending portion 24 at one corner thereof. A tape guide arm 26 is integral with portion 24 and extends at right angles to the plane of one side or face of the plate 22. Guide 26 has a cross-sectional shape in the form of a rounded V to present a smooth curved outer surface over which the tape is placed.

The severing of the tape takes place by placing the tape between the movable cutter member 28 and the fixed cutter member 30. Fixed cutter member 39 is in the form of a flat plate 32 having a slot 34 therein. An edge (FIGURE 3) of the slot cooperates with the lower edge of the essentially rectangular movable cutter 28 to obtain the necessary shearing action for severing the tape. Movable cutter 2.8 may be struck from an essentially flat panel 40 or may be otherwise fixed to a panel or element (FIGURE 2), and the other end has a curved loop 44 of spring material terminating in an integral connection with an upstanding fiat wall 46 that fits flush against the outside surface of the upper portion of plate 22 and that is adhered thereto, for instance by being welded, soldered,

riveted, formed integral therewith or otherwise connected.

and more particularly perspective view of another form of in use.

perspective view of the cutter in FIG- Plate 32 extends laterally outward :from the plane "of plate 22 and is located above spool 14.

The movable cutter member 28 has a short finger 48 which occupies slot 34 at all times to prevent the cutter member 28 from becoming misaligned with the slot 3'4 and to guide the movable cutter in its severing operation.

In use, a selected length of tape is pulled from the roll of tape 1'2 and placed across guide 26 and the fixed cutter member 39. Then with a single motion, the movable cutter 28 is depressed so that it enters slot 34, severing the tape in a neat clean cut. Loop 44rismade of spring material, for instance spring steel. The entire device may be made of spring metal, but the only part that is actually necessarily constructed of spring metal or other spring substance is loop 44. The bias of the spring material is such to maintain the movable cutter :in an elevated position such as shown in FIGURE 2 so that tape 12 is easily placed between the movable and fixed cutters for the severing operation.

FIGURES 5 8 illustrate a second form of the cutter. In these figures there is shown a cutter 6i? constructed very much along the lines of cutter It). Here again, the cutter is to be used with a roll of tape 62, and the tape may be of any type, preferably electrical tape 'or tape used prevalently in a number of trades. Cutter 60 has a frame 64 constructed of a fiat plate 66. Spool 68 is attached near one end of the fiat plate and is perpendicular to the plane of plate 66. A spring clip 70 identical to spring clip 13, is connected with spool -58 and serves a purpose similar to clip 18. A cutter assembly 72 hav- .ing a movable cutter member '74 and a fixed cutter member 76 identical to the corresponding cutter assembly of FIGURE 2, is attached to plate 66 along one "side edge thereof instead of along an end edge as in cutter It). Finger grip 89 is connected to flat plate 66 along the side edge opposite to the side edge at which cutter assembly '62 is secured. The finger grip 30 has a curved portion 82 and a fiat portion 34 integral therewith and approximately parallel to the fixed cutter member 76.

In use, a piece of tape .62 of the desired length, is stretched across guide 88 which responds in purpose to guide 26, and the fixed cutter member 76 of cutter assembly 72. The movable cutter member '74 is then depressed by the thumb (FIGURES) thereby severing the tape to thedesired length.

In both illustrated forms of the cutter the spools are made hollow and they are registered with an aperture in the frames of the cutters so that one of the fingers of the user may pass thereinto. The entire cutter is designed to be used in one hand so that the passing of the finger into the spool serves to support the cutter. When held in this way the thumb of the user is free to depress the movable cutter during the tape severing operation.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a tape cutter, a single fiat-faced plate, means on said plate to support a roll of tape, a one-piece cutter assembly connected with said plate and including a fixed cutter member lateral to one face of said plate, and a movable cutter member, said fixed cutter member having a slot, said movable cutter member having a blade movable into said slot and adjacent to an edge of said slot to sever the tape, resilient means connected with said movable cutter member and said plate for opposing the movement of said movable cutter in one direction and for re- 3 turning said movable cutter to a rest position, a finger attached to one end of said blade and always occupying a portion of said slot to guide said movable cutter and also to prevent said movable cutter from becoming misaligned relative to said slot.

2. In a tape cutter, a single rigid plate providing a frame, a tubular spool on said plate to support a roll of tape, a spring retainer clip removably mounted on one end of said spool, a cutter assembly connected with said irame and including a fixed cutter member and a movable cutter member, said fixed cutter member attached to said plate and having a slot, said movable cutter member ,movable into said slot and adjacent to an edge of said slot .to sever the tape, resilient means connected with said movable cutter member and said frame for opposing the movement of said movable cutter in one direction and for returning said movable cutter to a position, a finger :attached to said movable cutter, said finger lateral to said movable cutter and constantly occupying a functioning (position at an end portion of said slot to guide said mov- "able cutter and also to prevent said movable cutter from becoming misaligned With said slot, and a tape tautening guide attached to and projecting laterally from said frame and located between but spaced from said cutter members and said spool.

53. A holder, dispenser and cutter for a roll of tape comprising, in combination, a frame embodying a single 'planar plate provided adjacent one end with an aperture providing a finger opening provided at said one end with a relatively short open-ended tubular spool attached at one end to and projecting laterally from one side of said ,plate in alignment with said aperture permitting the user to insert a finger through the aperture and to pass the same through the passage in said tubular spool, said spool serving to support the roll of tape, a relatively stationary cutter member fixedly mounted at the other end of said plate and spaced from one side of the spool and parallel to the spool and provided with a slot, a guide for the free end portion of the tape fixed on said plate and extending at right angles from the plate, said guide being parallel with and spaced from said cutter member to permit the tape coming from the spool to be trained over an intended edge of the guide and then passed over the slotted portion of the cutter member, and a relatively movable spring biased cutter member mounted opposed to and movable toward and from the stationary cutter member and'provided with a cutter blade normally spaced from the slot but movable into the slot when finger pressure is applied to the movable cutter, said cutter blade provided ,4 at one end with a finger, said finger extending into the cooperating end portion of the slot and serving to key the cutter blade with the slot in a manner to maintain constant alignment between the blade and slot.

4. The structure definedin claim 3 and wherein the stationary and movable cutter members havecorresponding end portions thereof joined together by Way of a looplike spring, and a hook-shaped finger-grip mounted on said other end portion of said plate and disposed in spaced parallelism relative to; the axis of said spool. Y

5. A holder, dispenser and cutter fora roll of tape adapted to. be held in and operated by a single hand comprising a planar plate provided at one endportion' with an open-ended tubular spool' hav'in'gwan endithere'of attached to the plate, said plate provided .with'a finger hole aligned with the passage in said spool, means removably mounted on a free endportion'. of the spool for removably'holding the roll of tapein operative rotatable position on the spool, said plate-being provided at the end opposite the spool with an extension, and said extension being provided with a right angularly disposed tape guide parallel with but spaced from said spool, and a one piece cutterassembly fixedly mounted for operation on an end portion of the plate opposite to that on which said spool is mounted, said cutter assembly including a fixed cutter member extending at right angles from the piate'at one side of the plate, a movable cutter member opposed to the fixed cutter member, like ends of said members being connected by a loop-like spring which serves to separate and 'keep the members normally separated but permits the movable cutter member to be forcibly pressed toward and against the fixed cutter member, said fixed cutter member having a slot, said movable cutter member having a laterally disposed cutter blade, said cuttenbl ade being aligned with and forcibly movable into the slot, and said guide being generally coplanar with and spaced from said stationary cutter member. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 725,232 Earnest Apr. 14, 1903 2,320,460 Muller June 1, 1943 2,333,924 Gorbatenko Nov. 9, 1943 2,469,247 Smith May 3, 1949 2,588,043 Rabinowitz et a1. Mar. 4, 1952 2,604,166 Turner July 22,1952 2,640,656 Donkin June 2, 1953 2,862,676 Castelli Dec. 2, 1958 2,889,975 Hanlon June 9, 1959 

